N'gorongoro conservation area

The N'gorongoro crater is a natural amphitheater created about 2 million years ago when the cone of a volcano collapsed into itself, leaving a 100 square mile (259km²) caldron-like cavity. This caldera, protected by a circular unbroken 2,000-foot high rim (610-metres), contains everything necessary for Africa's wildlife to exist and thrive. N'gorongoro is on Tanzania's 'northern safari circuit', and receives a good number of visitors who stay in lodges around the crater. Game viewing vehicles descend the steep crater wall every morning and spend the day on grass plains that are teeming with animals. However, the dark of night belongs to the animals, and all vehicles must leave the crater floor by sunset.

Early man also flourished around here at Olduvai Gorge, not far from the N'gorongoro Crater. This is known because in 1960, Mary Leakey discovered a 1.75 million-year-old Homo habilis (nicknamed 'The Handyman' for his tool making skills), who represents mans first step on the ladder of human evolution.

The Maasai are the current human inhabitants and are at liberty to live within the sprawling 2,500 square mile (6,480km²) conservation area around the crater. The Maasai never cultivate land as they consider it demeaning. Instead they graze cattle, which hold a god-like status in Maasai culture, and in return the cows provide almost everything necessary to live; meat, skin, milk, dung for the walls and floor of their huts, and warm blood extracted from the neck of a live cow and mixed with milk as an iron rich food.

The 'lost world' of N'gorongoro was home to pigs the size of a hippopotamus, sheep-like beasts with 6-foot (3 metre) horns and three-toed horses. Nowadays is inhabited by about 30,000 animals, of which half are zebra and wildebeest. This is the perfect situation for predators and spotted hyenas and lions lord over this domain. There are also some leopards, cheetahs and three species of jackals. Tanzania's few remaining black rhino are regularly sighted in the crater, as are large herds of buffalo. In the lake on the crater floor and in the Ngoitokitok swamps, reside plenty of hippos who remain partially submerged during the day and graze on grass at night. Although the area sustains a huge variety of species, not all live down in the crater. Some are better adapted to roaming the extensive conservation area surrounding the caldera.

Elephant herds are noticeably absent from the crater floor because the cows and calves tend to prefer the forested highlands. They sometimes appear at the crater rim but only rarely venture down into the grasslands. Only mature bull elephants roam the crater floor carrying around some massive tusks. Also absent from the crater are impala, topi and oryx who reside more on the eastern Serengeti plains, but Grant's and Thompson's gazelles appear in the crater in good numbers. Giraffes are also missing from the crater as they favour the umbrella acacia and wait-a-bit thorn trees found higher up.

The salt-whitened shores of Lake Magathi are turned a pastel pink from thousands of flamingoes sifting algae and shrimps from this soda lake. The lake also attracts a myriad other water birds including avocets, plovers and black-winged stilts whose long beaks probe the soft mud.

Plains teeming with grazing animals

Dark manned lions

Clans of spotted hyena

Black rhino

Additional information

I worked as an intern for Art in Tanzania for 5 months. I had amazing time working with the other interns. I also did some volunteering on my free time which was fun and I think you learn more about the local culture that way. I would like to thank all the staff in Art in Tanzania for making my internship so fun!

Mikko Salo, Finland

Meet the staff

Edward has been working for Art in Tanzania for 5 years and moved to Stone Town when the house opened in 2009. He organises all the tours on the island, takes the volunteers to their projects, and makes them feel at home.